One of the men had been left at Pont Gibaut, with orders to take a fresh horse and ride on to Aubusson, if the party they were in search of passed through the town.
At Aubusson, Desmond took a fresh horse and rode back to Pont Gibaut, enquiring at all the villages along the road whether a party of twenty men had been seen to cross the road, at any point.
Then he took four hours' sleep, and at daybreak started back again, making fresh enquiries till he arrived at Aubusson.

He was convinced that the band had not, at that time, crossed the road on its way south.
At ten o'clock he started out with his party, followed the road by the side of the Crorrere river--here a mere streamlet--and halted in a wood about five miles from Felletin.
At six o'clock in the afternoon, a horseman was seen coming along, and was recognized as the man who had been left at Pont Gibaut.
Desmond went out to meet him.

He reported that, at twelve o'clock, a party of horsemen had come down on to the road a mile to the west of the town.

He had followed at a distance, and they had turned off by the track leading to Croc.

They had with them a carriage and a horse litter, and were travelling slowly.
Desmond and his men at once shifted their position, and took up a post on the track between Croc and Felletin.